How We Grow
by blazininferno
Summary: Season 1.5 persay. Takes place in the time between Seasons 1 and 2 mostly from the spitfire perspective but the entire team will be present. Will be trying to follow the canon as much as possible in terms of when the new members joined, important missions, etc
1. Chapter 1

**So I'm doing something I don't normally like to do and that's get two fics going at the same time. This one is here to detail the time between seasons 1 and 2 focusing on the evolution of the Spitfire relationship. It started as a random thought that came to me while trying to fall asleep so we'll see how it goes. If you like feel free to check out my other which takes place after the end of season 2 and features a fresh OC character :) Thanks!**

_January 5th 2012_

It had finally happened.

After months of bickering, ogling others, and tormenting each other, he had kissed her. Spur of the moment as the clock hit midnight he finally gave in to the feelings he had felt growing for weeks. He counted that as one of the happiest memories he had made in his sixteen short years on this planet.

Why then did it have to end like this? He questioned to no one in particular as he looked down at the prone blond haired girl resting on the hospital bed. He brushed some of the hair away from the green mask disguising her face as he thought about how it had all gone so wrong.

xxx

_The team had been granted a few days respite after their rescue of the Justice League to take some time to themselves. Visit with family, see their friends, and just be the teenagers they were, when not saving the day._

_Their break did not last long however, because on the 4th Batman had summoned them all back to the cave at the crack of dawn._

_He wasted no time in getting down to business as soon as the last of the team had arrived. Ironically, their fastest member had ended up taking that spot._

"_We have received intel that the light has stored another supply of their starrotech creation at this location, we believe this to be the place that they used to create in the first place" Batman stated indicating the flashing light on their holo map._

"_Wait they have more of it?" Kid Flash couldn't help but interject. _

"_So it would seem," Batman continued, "your mission here is two fold, objective A is to obtain any remaining starrotech that may still be active, objective B is to disrupt their ability to create it by any means necessary. This is not something we can allow to continue, this kind of tech can not remain in enemy hands," he glanced around at the now eight unit team. "You have your assignment, team dismissed."_

xxx

Wally was snapped back to the present as the machines connected to the unconscious blond began setting off alarms. The one that was clearly her heart monitor spiked once, twice, three times before diving into a constant flat line.

Wally's own heart sank as the emergency light above the bed began flashing calling for immediate medical attention to the room.

He felt like he was living in a dream, watching the events take place to a body that seemed to move of its own accord. He was ushered from the room instantly as doctors piled in and set to work trying to save this young hero.

Unable to support himself his legs gave out and Wally fell into one of the stiff backed uncomfortable armchairs so often found in hospital waiting rooms. His head dropped into his hands as his mind fell back into the mission from hell, if he had been faster it wouldn't have happened. It was his fault she was hurt, if he had just paid attention she wouldn't have had to come to his aid.

xxx

_January 4th 2012_

The bioship touched down just a half mile from the warehouse in question. The team disembarked and spread out scanning the area.

"Not much sign of any outside activity," Robin announced peaking through his hi tech binoculars and scanning the surrounding area.

"Doesn't look like there's a lot going on inside either," Superboy responded, "thermal vision shows only a few warm spots in the building."

"I can confirm," Kid Flash commented, his goggles over his eyes glowing with the tell tale thermal heat vision.

"Okay then," Aqualad said taking charge, "we get in and we get out, no unnecessary risks. M'gann, Zatanna and Rocket to the roof find a way in and try and take our opponents by surprise. The rest of us are going right in the front. Robin find a panel I want all security systems off line. Artemis explosive arrow aimed at the door, fire on my signal. KF as soon as that door is open I want eyes inside, stay mobile, try and figure out where they're stashing their tech."

"Panels hacked, security offline," came Robins voice through their radios, no one had even noticed him leave.

"Good, M'gann link us up," Aqualad said.

_Link established, we're on the roof, _came the response in their minds.

_Good, team Go!_

The team made a brake for the door, Kid Flash purposely keeping his speed at a pace the rest could match. Half way to their destination Artemis took drew back and fired, hardly slowing in her run as the arrow zipped the rest of the distance blasting through its feeble lock and leaving it hanging off a hinge.

Robin who was already in place near the door tossed a smoke pellet through masking the entrance of KF who activated his speed and was gone in the blink of an eye. He was inside for several seconds before the rest of the team made their way through the door.

The girls had dropped in through an air vent on the roof and were floating near the ceiling remaining out of sight in the shadows.

_Uh guys,_ Kid Flash said, _I don't think anyone's here._

The team was about to agree when the lights kicked on.

"Well, well, well. It seems our young hero's have walked right into our trap," the team adjusting to the suddenly bright lights tried to focus on two shadowy figures not so far away, one clearly holding a feline of some sort."

"I was hoping it would at least be some what of a challenge to lure you here but so be it," the voice continued.

_Guys! It's Savage!_ came M'gann's cry in their minds from her better vantage point up high.

_And Klarion,_ Zatanna added with more venom in her thoughts than most thought possible.

The point was moot however because with a final, "kill them," Klarion had opened a portal which he and Savage stepped through and in there place were dozens upon dozens of armed enemies.

"We need to get out now!" Aqualad exclaimed but as he turned towards the exit there was a crash and a heavy metal plate dropped in front of the door.

Then all hell broke loose as the freakishly large group of henchmen charged. Their opponents were prepared and what was supposed to be a simple in and out mission quickly became a fight for their lives.

So they fought. They split and tried to form some sort of defensive perimeter against the onslaught each calling on their own unique traits. The blinding lights left little cloaked in shadow leaving the boy wonder's usual hit and vanish tactics nearly unusable, and when he tried tossing a smoke pellet to disrupt a group of charging cronies a high powered fan kicked on sucking away all the smoke almost instantly.

"great," muttered Robin, "these guys were ready for us," he relayed tossing an explosive before drawing out his escrima's to counter the group.

The rest had already figured that out as each of the grounded members soon found themselves facing off with at least four of the henchmen. Those in the air tried to create as much havoc as they could but there were simply too many, and it wasn't long before explosions filled the air around them forcing them lower.

Their attackers were armed though surprisingly not with firearms. Some wielded swords, others daggers, and even a few with spears, _just what was going on here?_ they all thought.

There was no time to dwell as the two sides clashed. Robin twirled his short sticks with practiced ease as he ducked a high slash and responded with two quick strikes to one opponents knees. He twirled and parried two simultaneous thrusts and responded in kind forcing his opponents back. The fourth saw the teen's back looked to take advantage of the opening but missed horribly as the boy wonder back flipped with ease over the charging crony. Two quick shots to the mans kidneys had him writhing on the ground as the previous two returned to the battle. They never stood a chance.

Aqualad was also uniquely equipped for battling this type of enemy. Water sword in one hand, mace in the other he was able to deflect and counter attacks from both sides with ease. Aside from that however, the warehouse seemed to be specifically devoid of any additional water. He had to make do.

There seemed to be little rhyme nor reason to Superboy's strategy. A literal wrecking ball he waded through the enemy ranks leaving a path of destruction. He was nicked and cut repeatedly but their weapons could hardly slow the kryptionian's wrath.

Artemis squared up against four angry henchmen. The firsts angry horizontal slash was easily ducked by the young archer, her follow up knee to the gut had the man doubled over. Using his back as support she bent back and laid her own across it and held her bow horizontal launching an arrow into another mans chest sending him flying back. Rebounding off the bent mans back she kicked out behind her catching the man in the jaw laying him low.

Facing just two now she dodged one swipe and blocked another with her bow. She countered with a flurry of quick jabs to one mans abdomen and lower vital organs. As she blocked another slash she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Something that caused her heart to drop.

Kid Flash had been zipping easily through the battlefield dodging attacks left and right and giving out more than his fair share. That was until the trip wire was pulled. He didn't see it, couldn't see it. Thin as floss and clear as glass KF only noticed it after it caught his foot and sent him tumbling head over heels. A group of attackers wasted no time in moving in from all sides.

Artemis noticed Wally's fall, saw his attempts to avoid the numerous attacks. There were too many, and worse than that was moving up on him from behind. She knew it was risky, knew she had her hands full fighting off two goons at once. Well more like one and a half as she noticed one mans sluggish movements, her well aimed punches having the effect she desired. Still she felt protective, felt the need to watch over the boy who had sent her emotions into a raging vortex of confusion.

She ducked the next attack and deflected the predictable follow up slash. Knocking the blade out wide she spun and dropped to a knee drawing an arrow. In one fluid motion she had knocked and fired. The arrow was true and as it opened into the large net it took the man who was leaping at Kid Flash from behind out of the air pinning him to the wall as it electrified.

She smiled as she turned back to her own attackers blocking one swipe at her head but took a blow to her side from the man she assumed she had slowed. Accepting her mistake she tried to roll with the strike but instead she found herself stumbling backwards, her legs not reacting as they should.

Artemis glanced down almost by accident but was stunned to see the crystal handle protruding from her rib cage.

"Oh damn," she muttered as her body suddenly accepted the shock. As soon as her eyes made contact she noticed her movements get sluggish, she felt the pain suddenly spreading through her body, and noticed her legs go weak. The darkness seemed to close in around her as she collapsed to the floor.

Kid Flash noticed the net and with a flurry of punches and kicks to fast for the normal eye to see had the three men in front of him down for the count.

"You know I could have handled th-" he started as he turned towards where Artemis was fighting.

The words died in his throat however as he saw her on the ground barely moving as a man kicked her repeatedly as he clutched at his kidneys with one hand.

"Artemis!" KF screamed as he took off in her direction. His shoulder slammed into the man kicking her but he didn't slow until he felt them collide heavily with the wall and the mans sternum shatter beneath the blow. Satisfied he wouldn't be returning to his feet he was back to Artemis' prone form in a flash.

_Guys, _he called through their telepathic link, _Artemis is hurt, like bad, we have to get out of here, NOW!_

_Right time to go, _came Aqualad's response, his thoughts became instantly more panicked as he glanced Artemis' unconscious body in Kid Flash's arms as he sped towards them quickly to regroup.

_Alright, Zatanna, Superboy make us an exit, M'gann disappear and call the bioship, have a med bay ready, Rocket I want a shield around Kid and Artemis now, the rest of us form up in front of them, nothing gets by us._

Aqualad stood defensively in front of Rocket who was maintaining a kinetic shield around the injured hero and her carrier. His water bearers now forming a sword and a shield to better defend against oncoming attacks.

Robin tossed out a dozen smoke pellets hoping they would have at least some sort of more lasting effect. Sure enough the fan kicked on again immediately but so much smoke meant it took longer to clear masking their movements at least a little bit.

Zee floated down just above the group, and pointed to the metal slab sealing the door. "Ezeerf ti!" she shouted and watched as the metal immediately froze solid. Superboy taking the hint sprinted for the barrier and unleashed a punch strong enough to stop Superman. The frozen metal shattered upon impact and the team spilled out into the open air.

"Seal it!" Aqualad yelled out using his voice.

"esir morf eht dnuorg!" came Zatanna's immediate call and the ground in front of the new opening rose up creating a wall of solid earth blocking off their exit route so they couldn't be followed.

The bioship was open and ready for them as they quickly scrambled aboard.

"Kid get Artemis to the medical table, M'gann get us out of here we need to get to the cave-," Aqualad started but Robin cut him off.

"No," he stated as all eyes looked to him, "we're not far from Gotham we need to get her to Gotham Memorial now!"

"Memorial?" asked Zatanna, "but that's an actual hospital what about all the unwanted questions and identities and what not."

Robin shook his head, "Batman's got a private wing sectioned off specifically for circumstances like this. Him and his uh... benefactor have it entirely funded and its full of tech designed to help injured hero's, trust me its the best place we can bring her right now."

"You heard him," Aqualad stated definitively, "get this thing in the air M'gann!"

_Guys I need help down here, something is... wrong,_ came Kid Flash's call through their minds.

Robin, Rocket stay here and radio the hospital, let them know we are coming and what we need. Zatanna, Superboy, with me, we must try and help Artemis any way we can.

The scene that they walked into nearly stopped all three in their tracks. Artemis was unconscious on the medical table almost as white as the sheet she was laying on. The dagger was protruding from her ribs as blood was slowly soaking through the cloth Wally (now out of his mask) was holding around it.

He looked up at their approach, "you guys need to see this," he said his voice shaking slightly. "I was afraid to pull out the knife because we don't know how long it is or if its serrated and doing so could cause irreparable damage to her organs but look." He moved the cloth away a little and the three new comers gasped.

The skin around the handle of the knife was black and looked like it was being eaten away.

"My god..." was all Aqualad could get out as he moved nearer to their wounded friend. "Any idea what's causing it?"

"Some sort of poison if I had to guess, but I really couldn't say for sure," Wally replied.

"I thought those weapons were hurting more than they should," Superboy said drawing everyone's eyes as he examined his arms. They all gasped again as they noticed the dozens of red marks covering his skin. The skin hadn't been pierced but their were clear red lines showing where the blades had made contact.

It was Aqualad who finally said what they were all thinking, "that must have been some strong poison to leave marks on Kryptionian skin, I don't want to imagine what is going on in our young friends body."

It was Zatanna who spoke next finally opening her eyes, "I'm not so sure poison is the right word," was all the explanation she gave before moving near the blond archer. Raising a hand over over the deadly weapon she muttered, "laever ruoy sterces!"

The dagger responded violently, releasing a bolt of red mystic energy and causing Zee to stumble backwards clutching her stinging hand.

"Ah damn," she exclaimed rubbing her hand on her pants, "that's what I thought, I noticed a strange mystic aura when we came down here and my spell proved it. These weapons weren't poisoned, they were enchanted and not in a good way. My guess is Klarion is at work here."

She turned and looked in the direction of the cockpit, _Robin, contact the league we're gonna need Dr. Fate to be waiting for us if she's to have any hope to survive, _she said through the psychic link.

_Fate, why? _Came the response.

_I'll explain later just do it!_

_Alright alright, working on it._

Zatanna turned back to the med room, "we really should consider getting it out of her, the longer its in contact with her body the more damage the spell will do. I can teleport it out without having to pull it so we don't have to worry about any serrations"

Wally shook his head, "I told you we can't take the risk," his voice was almost a whisper, "if we knew how long it was then maybe it could work but if the knife has pierced her lung then the blade is the only thing preventing her from literally drowning in her own blood right now."

The team was speechless, no one had thought about that. As much as they hated the situation they had to admit having someone well versed in science on the team certainly proved useful.

"Alright," Zatanna said, "but that means Fate being there when we arrive is that much more important, as a Lord of Order he is the only one probably in the world capable of dispelling an enchantment of chaos like this one."

"He'll be there, he has to be," was all Wally could say as he held on tightly to the soft limp hand that seemed to be growing colder by the minute.

"I'm gonna go confer with Robin," Zatanna stated, "see if we can have something ready for the medical staff and Dr. Fate when we land so their not going in blind."

"Good idea, I'll put together some sort of report for Batman cause we know he'll be all over us the moment we touch down," Aqualad added as the two departed. That left just Superboy and Wally standing guard over their lifeless friend.

The large hulk of a man did something very unsuperboy like then as he placed a hand on the young speedsters shoulder and in a voice as soft as Wally had ever heard from him, he said, "Artemis is tough, probably the toughest out of all of us, if anyone can pull through this its her," with that he walked away, going to join the rest of the team as they closed in on their destination, leaving Wally alone with Artemis.

"Did you hear that?" he asked her weakly knowing she wouldn't respond, "Superboy, the guy who's been shot by a tank and got up like it was nothing just called you the toughest member of the team. Your not allowed to give up, do you hear me? You've got to pull through this, you just have too. Who else is going call me out when I make dumb comments, or hit me when I do something stupid, who else is there for me to argue with at all hours of the day. Truth is, there is no one else, no one else I would want to do those things besides you. So you have to make it, okay? For me, please?" He finished his little monologue as a single moist tear left his eye to run down his cheek feeling like it burned a trail along his skin before it fell from his face.

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly fighting back the multitude of tears he knew would follow if he let them and held onto her hand like a lifeline.

Just as he felt he was regaining composure he heard the voice in his head,

_KF get her ready, we're approaching the roof of the hospital, _was Robin's statement, _and it looks they have a team of doctors and a stretcher waiting for us, good. And is that? Yes, Fate made it here too, she'll be okay man, I know she will._

Wally didn't respond he just carefully scooped the petite young blonde into his arms and waited for ramp to lower. He couldn't help but smile as noticed just how tiny she truly was. How many people had likely underestimated her because of that size only to find themselves face down in the dirt likely with a few broken bones after just ten seconds against her.

The wall in front of him stretched opening a hole in a way only a Bioship could and ramp lowered to the ground. Wally could see the multitude of doctors prepping the stretcher run towards the end of it as he began his trek down. The walk seemed to take ages, _just one step at a time, one step at a time,_ he had to tell himself over and over until he finally reached the bottom and lowered her onto the mobile bed. He had forgotten to pull his mask over his face but with all the commotion and the threat hanging over a girl so young no one even noticed.

The way the doctors rushed off so soon after she had touched the bed, Wally was sure a speedster must have swooped by and grabbed them because he quickly found himself standing alone. To his left he noticed Robin and Zatanna conferring with Dr. Fate and the medical examiner in charge. He quickly made his way over to them as he noticed Robin hand off something that looked like a disc drive to Fate.

Wally couldn't control himself as he finally reached the foursome.

"You!" he yelled pointing at the helmet clad hero. "You have to save her, your the only one who can. You owe her!"

The man blinked.

Wally didn't slow, "if it wasn't for her then that stupid helmet on your head would have ended up in Klarion's hands those months ago when we found it. It was her who made me put it on, you-," his voice seemed to die as the words dropped from his mouth, "you have to save her."

The big man stared intently at the red haired youth for a moment. Eyes unblinking Wally felt as if he was peering into his soul. Without a word and with a barely a sound the purple and gold hero spun on his heel, cape billowing in the wind as he followed the retreating doctors with Artemis on the table.

"We'll do everything we can," the doctor in charge said simply before following suit.

"Come on," Robin said taking his friend by the shoulder, "there's a place we can wait inside."

Wally allowed himself to be led inside wordlessly, his mind was a thousand miles away.

xxx

**So a couple things, 1) this chapter ended up way longer than planned but I just couldn't stop writing so I hope you enjoyed this first piece, 2) sorry for the cliffhanger, I don't normally like ending on them but hey makes it more fun :p and 3) I don't know how often I'll be updating. Like I said at the beginning this is the second fic I'm working on so we'll see how it goes. I think this is going to be more fun to write because I like the cast as the young characters much more than the post season 2 adults we have to work with. Enjoy and feel free to review, I enjoy criticism!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So time for the next chapter in my little time filler story here. Not sure if there's really much following for it but these two are fun to write about so here goes :) Enjoy**

_January 5th 2012 10:13PM_

Wally was unsure of how long he dozed in his stiff hospital chair. He remembered being forced to leave her side after he had just sat down. He remembered the machines acting up, the flat line on the heart monitor that had practically caused his own heart to stop and he remembered the agonizing waiting period as he desperately hoped for any information on the teams fiery archer.

The only thing keeping him hopeful at the moment was the fact that if something really bad had happened then the doctors would have informed the team. Would have sent them home, would have done something other than leaving them huddled in the dark.

As his mind slowly began to shake off the drowsiness that followed his halfhearted sleep, Wally allowed his eyes to flutter open. It didn't take him long to figure out what had subconsciously pulled him from his stupor. People! Three of them to be exact, were making their way into the waiting room from the door that led to the medical area.

Batman led the trio out the door and into the room, before proceeding through it. He offered little more than a nod to Kaldur before vanishing through the exit. Wally's mind was forced back to the Dark Knight's arrival just a few hours earlier. He had shown up shortly after the Bioship had touched down demanding to know what had happened.

It had taken all of Wally's willpower not to lose it on the masked hero right then and there. To not explode on him, letting out all of the emotions he felt building deep within his being. It was hard not to place blame after something so severe. Batman and his "intel" had led them to the warehouse after all, the warehouse that held a rather vicious ambush in any case.

Well Wally had swallowed his pride, swallowed his blame because when he allowed himself to actually look at the situation he knew it was unavoidable. They all knew the risks that came with being a hero and injuries were a part of the job. That didn't make it any easier knowing that the girl he had been crushing on for months now was lying on what could quite possibly be her deathbed.

Batman was off to inform the league on the situation. He had explained as much to them after the rather brief debrief. He had wanted to check in with Fate and the medical staff to bring back as much information as he could before leaving. That could only mean that Green Arrow, Black Canary and likely Captain Marvel would arrive soon.

Wally was shaken from his inner thoughts as he noticed the other two new occupants in the room as they made their way to the group. The first was clearly a doctor, dressed in operating gown and with a mask hanging on a string around his neck he stopped in front of the seven teammates huddled in the corner of the room. He didn't even get a chance to speak before Wally blurted,

"She's okay right? Tell me she's okay!"

The doctor offered an apologetic expression, "she is..." he paused looking for the right word, "stable at the moment. The flat line you witnessed was likely due to a negative reaction to the anesthetic drugs we were using during the procedure. We have managed to regulate her heartbeat and she appears to be breathing normally as well, the knife left some severe trauma to her inner organs and left a rather nasty laceration to her lung. Her physical injuries though do seem to be the lesser of her problems at the moment," he motioned to the man behind him who happened to be Dr. Fate, "he seems to know more about the item's situation than I do, so I'll let him take over from here," at that point the medical doctor backed off, returning to the back area likely to monitor his patients health or something.

The team turned as one to face the helmeted hero anticipating the hopeful words they prayed would spill from his mouth. Needless to say they were surprised when Dr. Fate turned towards the still costume clad Kid Flash and said,

"Wallace West, correct?"

Wally stuttered for a moment unsure of how to respond, "how did you?" he finally got out unable to finish the question.

"The mind meld that transpires when you put on the helmet is as complete as any in the universe, I know almost as much about you as you do," he stated simply. Before any one else could comment or interrupt Fate continued, "on the roof... you said that it was because of this girl that the helmet avoided Klarion's hands, yet I have replayed that night numerous times and have concluded she was not present at the time. So why then did you demand I save her with this as your reasoning?"

The red and yellow hero sighed as his shoulders visibly slumped. He wondered if Nabu would question his logic in that regard as he looked around at his teammates curious glances. As he looked though he realized that in the face of losing a teammate, in the face of losing Artemis, embarrassment wasn't really the worst thing in the world.

Wally's eyes found those of the man behind the helmet as he started, "I didn't say she was on the roof, just that she was the reason I actually put on the helmet," Dr. Fate didn't respond, didn't even blink as he waited for the remainder of the explanation.

"I'm a man of science, always have been, hell I got my powers through a friggin science experiment. So when we had that mission I was skeptical to say the least. Didn't believe in magic, still don't know what to think about it, but it was her that challenged me to believe. To take the chance in something that I didn't believe in. Had it not been for her I probably would have tried to fight Klarion as Kid Flash when Kent's shield failed instead of actually putting on the helmet when the time came. If I didn't then I don't doubt that Klarion would have killed me, done who knows what with your helmet, and who knows what to my friends. So no, she wasn't on the roof with us, but she was the reason that the helmet actually went onto my head."

"Spitfire?" was Dr. Fate's only response.

Despite all that was happening Wally couldn't suppress a grin at the word he hadn't heard in so long.

"Ole Kent rub off on you a little did he?" he asked the Doctor.

"When a lovestruck old man inhabits your mind for nearly forty years things tend to intertwine," Fate responded.

"Well to answer your question, yes. If ever there was a definition for the word 'spitfire' I'm sure you would find Artemis' picture right next to it," Wally muttered fearing for the well being of his friend.

Fate's eyes closed and his head tilted downward ever so slightly, "your explanation is... adequate, your announcement upon your arrival this morning simply intrigued me to ask. Fear not for I have done what I can for your friend. This happened as an act of chaos therefore, Order was forced to intervene. I have done all that I could manage, the spell was in contact with her being for a long period of time and it has taken its toll. I have managed to repair much of the physical damage the enchantment caused but it is a powerful spell, one I have had little experience with in my existence. It targets the mind even moreso than the body. The rest is up to her and her will to survive."

Fate started walking towards the exit but turned back as he reached the door, "a lifeline back to reality might be beneficial in her current state, if one of you would be willing to talk her through it."

"Am I allowed to go see her?" Wally asked standing up.

"Are you going to let them stop you?"

xxx

She didn't know where she was. It was dark, that much was obvious and whatever the place was it seemed empty, seemed to stretch on forever. She looked down at her body, where she had hoped to see a uniform complete with weapons and gadgets she only found the most basic of garments. A plain white tank top and black sweatpants, she was defenseless.

_Mind as well be naked, _she thought angrily, _fun way or not._

Just as she was trying to pick a way to go the image flashed before her eyes. Appearing in front of her like a giant movie screen she watched as it replayed a memory from her childhood. Her first day of training with her father. She was unskilled, had never fought anyone before and yet he attacked her without mercy. She watched as she was forced to relive his vicious onslaught and ever blow he landed to ten year old Artemis, the current fifteen year old version felt just as much.

She cried out as a kick connected launching her younger counterpart through the air and she doubled over clutching her stomach. It was then it seemed that her father noticed her watching the memory unfold, without warning, without a sound he dropped from the screen before her into her own reality. As his feet touched the darkened ground his features changed, he took on a darker shadowy form as his body seemed to become almost ghastly. He approached her slowly as Artemis instinctively moved to a defensive stance.

"Dad?" she asked shakily.

His response came when he was three steps away. Faster than she could blink he had closed the gap and landed a right hook that sent her careening through the air. Her breath was blasted from her lungs as she impacted the ground hard only her years of training had her back on her feet before the next attack could come.

She ducked the left hook that quickly followed as Sportsmaster chased his daughter down. Artemis went to counter then launching her own series of jabs to his exposed midsection but her fear was complete when her hands passed right through the shadowy apparition.

"What the-" was all she had time to say before a swift back hand sent her staggering.

To her credit, she was able to compose herself quickly, putting as much distance between herself and psychotic father as possible. Her hopes were dashed though when her ten year old self dropped from her replaying memory taking on her own dark and misty form. A sneer danced across her young face as she licked her bleeding lips and made her way towards the duo.

"No," Artemis said trying to convince herself this was all a dream, "no, no, no, no, no."

Again faster than the eye could follow her own young form had attacked her as well landing several precise shots before Artemis was able to finally stumble far enough away. Without thinking, without caring where she just turned and ran. Everything looked the same in this god forsaken place so she just wanted to move.

She had only taken a few steps however, before she felt it. Whatever _it_ was, was digging through her subconscious and forcing her brain to regurgitate memory after memory before her eyes and it wasn't long until she seemed to be running down a hallway of memory lane.

_She was crying watching Jade leave the family._

_She watched as her mother was sentenced to jail and carted away in cuffs._

_Her father mercilessly beat her after she failed one of his tests._

_The first and only time he had forced her to kill someone._

_His angry outburst when she told him she was not going to be a villain, when she told him she would help people instead._

As she passed every relived memory the actors taking part would suddenly become their own dark and ghastly figures to join in the chase. She could feel them reaching for her, their shadowy digits just brushing against her skin as she tried to escape their grasp.

It was too much, she was tiring and their was no where to go. She tried turning, changing directions, but everywhere she went, Artemis was only faced with more agonizing memories and where there were more memories only meant more terrifying creatures joining the hunt.

Artemis wasn't sure how long she had been running but she was spent. Her body couldn't keep the pace any longer when she finally stumbled. She couldn't tell if one of the beasts had managed to catch up to her or her own exhaustion had caused it but before she knew it she was pitched forward.

Her eyes closed, thinking this was the end when she felt two strong arms catch her. Opening her eyes, Artemis was looking into two glowing green orbs and a mess of red hair smiling down at her.

_I should have done this a long time ago,_ Wally said looking down at her.

Artemis allowed a smile to cross her features, had she finally found salvation from this hell hole she had fallen into? Was she safe from the horde of what she could only call monsters pursuing her?

Before she could even comprehend all that was happening however, Wally's form began to blur and in his place she saw another of the darkened beings arms wrapped tight around her.

_I should have done this a long time ago,_ it hissed before it dropped her.

She was falling. Falling. Falling.

She didn't know how long it lasted but it seemed like an eternity before she finally hit the ground in a heep. She felt broken, her body hurt, her head felt like it was being carefully cut open with a hot knife and she was ready to die. For the first time in she couldn't remember how long she allowed herself to cry. The tears flowed down her face hot and heavy as she curled into a fetal position waiting as the shadowy figures slowly surrounded her. It was like they were taunting her, carefully maneuvering around her prone form. Then as one their hands reached out to her ready to pull her into their midst.

Beaten, sore, and eyes full of tears she was ready to finally accept her fate, there was no more fight left in her. Her eyes closed...

_Spitfire_

_Spitfire_

_Spitfire_

_Spitfire_

The word echoed through her being like a bass guitar at the grand canyon. It shook and reverberated off every wall within her mind and its effect on the being's surrounding her was immediate. Cutting through the darkness like a bright sun through fog it bathed her nearly broken form in a golden light protecting her against the angry onslaught. Artemis felt a pressure on her hand and looked down to see a red gloved hand she knew all too well.

Looking up she found herself once again staring into the mesmerizing green eyes of Wally West. These eyes were different than those of the one from her earlier memory though. They saw through her, peered into her very soul and saw the broken defeated being that she was yet he remained. He was there to help her, to fight with her and to pull her out of this insanity.

Artemis allowed the yellow and red hero to pull her to her feet as she looked through the golden rays protecting them. Glancing back at her savior she saw a fire in his eyes she knew so well. He didn't speak, she didn't know if he could but his look gave her the confidence she had so desperately needed.

This was her consciousness, these were her memories, and she would not let them drag her down into the pits of hell while she still drew breath. They wanted to fight her with her painful memories? Well two could play that game.

Closing her eyes, Artemis conjured up her own thoughts, her own more recent excursions. She thought of the team she had joined, the good she had done fighting beside them, the villains they had put away, and the people they had saved.

When she opened her eyes next she was no longer standing alone, trapped and scared. She wasn't even standing just beside Wally. No, she was standing clad in her own Green Arrowesque uniform, surrounded by the new family she had adopted. The people who were now most important in her life.

Aqualad, Robin, Superboy, Miss Martian, Zatanna, and even Rocket had joined the ranks of Artemis and Kid Flash who still held tight to each others hand. As she stood flanked on all sides by the people that she loved she looked to the light created by the sacred word. It emanated from a point far in the distance, glowing white and welcoming she knew that to be her destination.

Words were not needed with a team as close as this, especially within the confines of her consciousness. As a unit they moved through the pack of angry shadowy beasts hell bent on taking her with them but together they fought back. More and more memories were ripped from her psyche trying as the chaos spell tried to overwhelm her with sheer power. It was not enough, Artemis was no longer afraid and with the strength of her friends beside her no number of the superficial beasts could slow their charge.

They neared the light, the point Artemis so hoped would bring her back to her own reality. As they neared she felt Kid Flash release her hand and she stopped to turn and look at him. He smiled as he gave her a gentle push and pointed at the light. The way was clear but scores of the creatures remained behind in pursuit. Another push had the archer moving towards it as she realized what was happening, with a smile and a knowing smirk Wally turned back to face the horde. The rest of the team already in position forming a defensive line she knew no enemy would cross.

Tears filled her eyes once more for an entirely different reason as she turned and ran for the light. The sounds of battle filled her ears and she glanced back briefly seeing her team in action. She was only a few steps away, just a bit more, a bit further to go.

Then all at once she felt it, the warm glow as the light suddenly surrounded her lifting her free of the darkness, pulling her back to where she belonged.

xxx

She wasn't sure what she noticed first, or what clue gave it away that her consciousness was hers once more. Everything seemed different, her sense of smell came first, alerting her distinctly sterile fumes that so often filled a hospital.

She was in a bed, that much came second as she recognized the sheets and blankets pulled halfway up her body. At that she noticed just how bright it seemed even though her eyes remained closed. It was a lot at once and a big part of her wanted to fall back into the quiet, calm of the darkness she had just escaped from. That was until she heard it... heard him.

"I'm sorry its taken me so long to realize that," Wally was saying, his hand squeezed tight around hers, fingers intertwined. "I knew it that day after the mission in the tower, but I was too scared to admit it. To afraid you might not feel the same way and so I retreated. From you, and from the emotions I left buried deep inside. Kent was right you know, there really is a lot more appeal to finding someone to be your spitfire instead of just finding someone you think you like. He had one in a woman named Inza, and I promise you that if you wake up, if you pull through this, well then I'll do anything to make you mine... my own little spitfire."

She wanted to sleep, wanted to give in to the darkness, the pain in both her chest and head screamed at her to do so, but how could she? How could she allow that to happen with what was transpiring right next to her. With an effort of will that would have made Superman proud she forced her eyes to open. Just a crack at first as she was blindsided by just how bright everything seemed. As the area around her came into focus she saw him. Uniform tattered and dirty, cowl still tucked down over his face, his head bowed almost like he was in silent prayer.

The view was more than enough to force a smile to dance across her face despite everything that had happened.

"Well that depends," she managed to croak out, her voice dry and hoarse.

Wally's eyes went wide.

"Whats a spitfire?"

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry for the delay. I actually really liked the way this turned out but I could just be biased since I wrote it :p **


	3. Chapter 3

_****__**Love is like a friendship caught on fire—in the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals—deep-burning and unquenchable.**____  
- Bruce Lee_

**I started this story with no real plot lines drawn except for the first mission and what Artemis experienced under the influence of the enchantment. Everything from here on out is basically going to be on the fly. My favorite author once said that half the time he just lets the characters tell the story and do what they're gonna do, so that's what I'm trying here. I don't really believe this is likely what would have happened to bring them together but its the road I'm taking :p Enjoy**

_January 9th 2012 12:15pm_

It was four days before Artemis was finally given leave to return to Mount Justice. Four long and agonizing days full of too many pain meds and too much bed rest.

Artemis was sure that Wally's squeal of delight had probably alerted the entire hospital as well as half of Gotham to the fact that she was no longer unconscious or at least that something had happened. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds before the rest of her team had burst through the door ready to confront whatever evil had caused Wally's inhuman shriek. However, the look on their faces when they realized his noise hadn't been made in anguish but in relief well, it made the world suddenly seem okay to the bed ridden Artemis.

After that it hadn't taken long for some of the other big name leaguers to make their appearances as well. Batman was the first to return, and in true Batman fashion at that. Door closed, windows closed, yet there he was standing beside the bed like everything was peachy. Nearly gave Artemis a heart attack, in fact the only who seemed unperturbed by the event was Robin, should have figured as much.

The Bat had needed her account of what had transpired within the warehouse to put into the report. The introduction of the chaos infused weapons had proved troubling for the League and were quickly made a top priority. Once he was satisfied the Dark Knight lived up to his name once again and was gone before the team could blink.

Dr. Fate was the next Leaguer to grace the team with his presence. Returning from who knows where in a flash of light he made quite the entrance. Zatanna noticeably left upon his appearance. However, the good Doctor asked that all other team members vacate the room while he talked to Artemis. He asked for her to recount her experience while unconscious and under the effect of the chaos enchantment.

That had been... difficult. Talking about it was almost like reliving the entire ordeal and she had to look behind her more than once to ensure there were no shadowy appendages reaching after her. Artemis hesitated when she came to the part about her savior and debated keeping Wally's role in her climb back to reality a secret but her conscious got the better of her. The well being of the League and the Team could be at stake if others fell victim to these weapons and she knew that knowledge would become their best defense against such tools. So she conceded and with a deep breath admitted that it was in fact the renown Kid Flash who had pulled her out of the darkness.

When she finally finished her tale she found her voice to be far shakier than she would have liked. She was Artemis, trained by the league of Shadows and then faced of against countless super villains with her new Team. She was supposed to be strong, supposed to be unmovable, isn't that what her father always told her? Why then did she still feel so afraid, just how strong did you have to be to look death in the eyes?

Dr. Fate didn't seem keen on answering. After her story concluded he had just stood there for many moments, unblinking, just looking at her. Artemis hated that stupid helmet he wore, it made it impossible to read any kind of facial expressions he could be making. She wondered if he even made any beneath that golden wall. As they continued looking at one another, another questioning thought came to her mind, _just how does he eat with that thing on? _It made sense that Zatara's body would need nourishment in order to sustain itself and Fate wouldn't be able to take it off to do so. Artemis was forced to suppress a giggle at the thought of Dr. Fate attempting to drink something with an abnormally long straw.

That seemed to be the turning point for the blue and gold hero, who gave a swift nod before turning for the door.

"You were lucky," he stated simply, "there is little that can cut through a chaos curse, yet your friend found a way," and with that he was gone.

After that the time passed by like one would expect in a hospital. The team was constantly by her side keeping her company, making sure she was comfortable all the fun stuff that came with being bed ridden. She was visited by her mentors Green Arrow and Black Canary who expressed their parental concern for the young woman they had both trained and cared for so vigorously.

Perhaps her favorite visit came in the form of Captain Marvel. He might have the wisdom of Solomon, the speed of Mercury, and the strength of Zeus or whatever it was but underneath it was still the ten year old kid calling the shots. After learning that during the split dimension fiasco it suddenly became so much clearer when dealing with the comedic superhero.

She did have to admit that she could understand why Wally so enjoyed his company the time he broke his arm though. It was hard not to have the more than willing hero running back and forth for her with snacks, or games, or anything else to try and occupy her time.

Unfortunately however, that was pretty much the extent of her excitement. The rest of the time was spent eating crappy hospital food, watching crappy hospital TV, and sleeping in a bed far to uncomfortable for how much time she was supposed to spend in it.

Artemis had hoped her transition to the cave would have made life a little bit easier, maybe a little bit more exciting, but no. She was still under strict order to remain in bed nearly twenty hours a day, _ugh! _She was so bored staring into the constantly blue lights given off in the medical wing of the cave.

She had woken from what must have been her hundredth nap in the past four days and was feeling extremely restless. Megan and Conner were off playing couple somewhere, Zatanna was likely doing some sort of sorcery/magic thing... well that or sleeping, that girl slept more than a regular person should be able too. Robin was with Batman doing the dynamic duo thing while Kaldur swam in the ocean. She couldn't remember where Wally had said he was going, the drugs attempting to stem the pain flowing from her rib cage made it hard to concentrate on too many different things.

"Ugh, screw this," she growled at the room as her stomach rumbled. Artemis threw back the covers and struggled to her feet, wincing as her skin stretched across her chest irritating her injured ribs. She ignored the pain and carefully made her way across the room. She was barefoot, her flannel pajama bottoms dragged along the ground as she worked her way towards the kitchen. The tank top she wore did little to quell the coolness of the cave and it wasn't long before goose bumps rose from her arms but she didn't care. It just felt so good to not be in bed for once.

Reaching the kitchen Artemis dug through the fridge and pulled out a small bowl of fruit she had been saving. It was from before the mission but it still seemed good, so she shrugged absentmindedly and took a seat at the bar to enjoy her snack.

Just as she was musing about how quiet it seemed to be in the cave today-

_Recognized Kid Flash B03_

"And suddenly the quiet is gone," she muttered.

Artemis contemplated Wally's likely course through the cave figuring he would likely have gone to check on her first then finding her not there, he would likely check the training room next and then the kitchen. So she began counting down adjusting for his increased speed.

"And 3... 2... 1-"

"Artemis?!" Wally appeared in the doorway.

"Right on cue, Baywatch"

"Huh?" Wally asked perplexed.

"Never mind," the blond archer replied turning back to her fruit.

"Shouldn't you be in bed," he questioned zipping to her side in the blink of an eye.

Artemis couldn't help but recognize how much warmer the air got around her with the speedster in close proximity.

"Shouldn't you be out filling that black hole you call a stomach?" she retorted with a smile unwilling to shy away from their usual banter.

"Way ahead of you," he lifting the bag he was carrying as he took a seat next to her. Artemis watched as he proceeded to remove what must have been a five course meal from the brown paper sack. She shook her ahead amused as she turned back to her own food.

They actually ate in silence for several moments before the blond arrow slinger was forced to look at her red headed companion. She was startled to see that he wasn't stuffing his face with everything in front of him, instead he was absentmindedly pushing around what appeared to be some sort of pasta with his fork.

As if that wasn't weird enough his eyes seemed to be a million miles away.

"What's up?" she finally asked

He sighed once before putting down his fork to look at her, "why did you do it?" he asked quietly.

"Do what?"

"Save me! You were clearly in a fight no less serious than my own yet you still managed to save my ass nearly at the cost of your life... so why did you do it?"

Artemis looked at the speedster, there was something new behind his eyes something she hadn't really seen before, was it compassion? Fear? Anger? It could have been none of them or all... she wasn't sure.

Finally she shrugged, "I don't know, we're hero's, isn't that what we do? Save each other?"

"Not when it could have cost you your life!" Wally retorted.

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this? I didn't die, I did save you, and we got away unscathed... well for the most part."

"Because it is a big deal!" Wally nearly yelled, "if I had been faster, if I didn't trip then you wouldn't have had to interrupt your fight to help me, I could have-"

Artemis hit him... hard... in the shoulder. Then she doubled over and winced as the blow sent waves of agony cascading across her ribcage. "Oh karma you heartless bitch," she mumbled before sitting straight again to look at the teen rubbing his arm.

"No," she said, "you are not blaming yourself, I did what I did because I wanted to. It was my decision and put in the same situation knowing the consequence I would do it again and again and again. It is not your fault, everything in that place was designed to pull us all out of our element. Was _designed to make_ you trip."

Wally stared at her for a few long seconds before stating, "easier said than done."

"Hey, it happens, everything worked out okay, and I'm going to be fine in a few weeks, we can't change it now so lets just move on," she smiled.

He returned the smile, "we can try."

Silence fell over them again for a bit before Artemis turned back to the speedster who seemed to have regained his appetite as he was shoveling food into his palate at an ungodly pace.

"My turn," she said smugly.

"Hmm?" was the only response she got between his bites.

"You never answered my question when I woke up," she said simply, "what's a spitfire?"

Wally choked.

His face turned beet red as he began coughing trying to get what food he had in his mouth down his throat. Artemis thumped him once on the back to help him out.

"You remember that huh?" he finally managed to croak out.

"The drugs made me loopy, not forgetful," she replied simply, "I just need to know if your still making fun of me like you always do."

Wally laughed... "It's nothing bad, I promise."

"So tell me what it is!" she poked him in the ribs.

He recoiled at her touch and gave a mock exasperated sigh, "if I must."

"Oh you must," with an evil glare in her eye.

"How is it even injured you're still like the scariest person on this team?"

"Its a gift," was all the response he got before she motioned him to continue.

Wally let out a deep breath to steady himself, "you remember Kent Nelson right?"

Artemis nodded.

"Well when we were on the roof with Klarion, right before he..." the red head paused for a second clearly shaken. Artemis put a hand on his arm.

"Right... before he died he put a shield around us and the helmet. Told me I'd have just enough time to do what I had to do or something. At first I thought he just meant I had time to get ready to fight Klarion, you know speedster powers and what not. Yet right as the shield was about to fail I heard something, your voice actually," Wally smiled slightly. "You know when you said to me 'do you ever get tired of being wrong' well I decided accept your challenge. A test of faith if you will and that was what lead me to put on the helmet."

"Mhmm," Artemis let out hoping he would continue because she had no clue where he was really going.

"Its hard to explain really how the helmet works. It doesn't just give you the powers of Dr. Fate, the helmet _is_ Dr. Fate. His consciousness, his being if you will and when someone puts it on, he gets complete control over your body. So my own consciousness was basically sealed inside the helmet while Fate fought Klarion with my body and his powers. Weird I know."

"While its nice to hear you actually admitting something magical for once instead of blaming brain waves or whatever but this doesn't really help me understand spitfires," she said when Wally paused.

He was forced to laugh at the irony of her statement. She was acting exactly like a spitfire while trying to figure out what the word meant.

"Alright there spitfire," he smirked, "I'm getting there. Either because he was in such close proximity to the helmet or because he spent like twenty plus years inside the helmet, when Kent passed his soul was sucked inside it too. So while I was in there I was actually able to talk to him just fine... well my consciousness and his soul did anyways. The point is that while we were in their he gave me some advice about my life. That was to find myself a 'spitfire,'" he made air quotes around the word, "one like his wife, Inza. His definition of the word seemed to be a girl who wouldn't let you get away with anything. Isn't afraid to challenge your decisions or keep you on toes if you know what I mean," a grin crossed his face as the definition was beginning to sink in to the blond archer.

Artemis laughed too as she realized what he was saying, "I guess I do sometimes like to argue with you," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Uh, sometimes?!" Wally scoffed.

"Okay lots of times, but what is it about these 'spitfires,'"she air quoted the word as well, "that is so desirable?"

Wally seemed deep in thought for a moment before saying, "you know it took me a long time to actually figure that out. Even though Kent hinted that I should consider you way back then, I never really thought about it since we were constantly at each others throats... not that much as changed," he winked. "But I think what makes it exciting is that it can never be boring, you don't let me get away with anything. If I'm an idiot your the first to call me out, when I do something stupid you laugh just as hard as everyone else. You don't bring the lovey dovey boring aspect of most relationships instead you spit fire... figuratively of course."

There was another pause as Artemis tried to piece together exactly what he was saying.

He saved her the trouble however when he finally continued, "I don't know how much you remember but that's why while you were unconscious I asked if you know... you would like to be mine... my own little spitfire."

Artemis sort of froze, she hadn't really been expecting that... or had she? It was sudden, it was impulsive and it was so incredibly Wally. She couldn't deny the attraction that had been growing inside her as they became closer teammates, as she passed him a rebreather when fighting the injustice league, when he stood steadfast by her side when she finally admitted her family history. She smiled as she made her choice.

She grabbed the front of his shirt with her good hand and pulled him to her. Her lips touched his ever so lightly just enough to press them together and give him a taste before she pulled back a sly grin on her face.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked wickedly.

Wally stuttered for a second opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water before finally getting out, "god I hope so."

"Well its about freaking time!" came the voice from directly behind them causing both of them to jump. Artemis suddenly had a knife in her hand, where she got it would remain a mystery.

Robin laughed at his friends crazy expressions.

"How long were you there?" Wally asked sheepishly.

"Long enough," was the only answer he would get from his young acquaintance. "So does this mean you two are finally like together?"

The two looked at each other, a slight flush filling their cheeks before Artemis finally let out in a soft voice few even knew she was capable of, "you know I think it does."

"Yes! Finally!" Robin exclaimed hitting a few buttons on his wrist computer.

Seconds later Conner, Megan, and Zatanna filed into the kitchen.

"This better be good boy wonder," Conner said trying to sound intimidating.

"Oh very worth it! It seems that our little wager has finally concluded since, our young love birds over here are finally together!" Robin exclaimed dancing around Wally and Artemis. The latter of which took a swing at him every time he passed.

"Wait you guys actually bet on us?" Wally announced.

"Um duh!" Zatanna said mockingly, "it seemed you two were the only ones oblivious to it... so who won Rob?"

He pressed a few more buttons on his wrist, "well cause should be obvious Zee since you called that one, 'near death experience' after all."

"Hold up," Artemis said speaking up for the first time since the rest of gang entered, "you actually bet I would almost die before we would get together?!"

Zee laughed at her, "well a) I didn't specify whether it would be you or Wally here and b) I thought it would be what it would take to actually open your eyes... which it seems was correct," she stuck her tongue out at her friends.

"Gee thanks," Artemis huffed crossing her arms carefully.

"And time frame goes too," Robin announced pulling up another page on his computer, "Megan! Who picked January."

"I hate you guys," Wally muttered.

Artemis leaned over towards him smiling mischievously then, "its okay," she said just loud enough for everyone to hear, "we'll make our own money on the wager we have for Zatanna and Rob," she winked at her friend.

Zee blushed visibly as she started stuttering.

Robin noticeably vanished without a trace.

The rest of the team lost it, doubling over with laughter as Zee still tried to form words.

"It appears that I have missed something," said Kaldur as he entered the room

xxx

**So a little bit of... okay a lot of spitfire drabble here but as we progress we'll see more of the team and missions and stuff. I just wanted to do this fic from a spitfire perspective since I like their characters and how much they've grown through the show. **


End file.
